Your Body, Your Gut health. How to nourish your gut naturally...

How Nutrition and Gut Health Support Optimal Wellbeing.

Hi lovely readers,

If there’s one thing I’ve learned on my journey through breast cancer, and numerous stress events in life, it’s that everything in our body is connected—especially when it comes to our gut. That’s right, your digestive system isn’t just about breaking down food. It’s the command center for so much more: immunity, energy levels, mental clarity, mood balance, and even glowing skin. And when your gut is happy, the rest of your body feels it too.

In this blog, read on to find out how to nourish your gut naturally through simple, supportive nutrition and herbal teas, so you can maintain that beautiful inner balance and optimum health. Ready to restore and thrive from the inside out? Let’s dive in.

1. Why Gut Health Matters More Than You Think

Your gut is home to over 100 trillion microorganisms, known as the gut microbiome. These tiny bacteria play a huge role in:

• Digesting food and absorbing nutrients

• Regulating immune function

• Producing mood-balancing neurotransmitters like serotonin

• Managing inflammation

• Supporting your body’s detoxification systems

A healthy, balanced gut microbiome helps maintain optimum health and reduced risk of sickness. Maintaining harmony in the gut, within the body keeps you feeling energised, focused, and emotionally grounded. But when the gut is out of balance (due to stress, poor nutrition, antibiotics, or lack of sleep), things can go haywire—causing bloating, low immunity, mood swings, skin issues, and more.

2. Herbal Support for Gut Health

At Herbal Healing, I've always believed in the gentle yet powerful magic of herbs. When it comes to digestive support, nature has gifted us with some incredible plant allies.

Here are a few of our favourites—many of which you’ll find in the many blends available:

1. Peppermint

• Benefits: Soothes digestive spasms, reduces bloating and gas, improves digestion.

• Find it in: Anxietea – great after a meal or during moments of digestive discomfort.

2. Chamomile

• Benefits: Calms inflammation in the gut lining, eases indigestion, supports relaxation.

• Find it in: Sleep Blend Tea – sip before bed to wind down and soothe your tummy.

3. Ginger Root

• Benefits: Stimulates support for Gut Health, digestive enzymes, reduces nausea, supports circulation.

• Find it in: – ImmuniTea for an immune-boosting, gut-loving warm-up.

4. Fennel

• Benefits: Relieves gas and bloating, improves motility, freshens breath.

• Find it in: Feminine Tea Blend – supports hormone harmony and gut health.

5. Tulsi (Holy Basil)

• Benefits: Adaptogenic herb that reduces stress (which is huge for gut health), boosts immune function, and helps regulate digestion.

• Find it in: ImmuniTea

3. Simple Nutrition Tips to Feed Your Gut

You don’t need a complicated diet or an expensive supplement routine. Supporting your gut—and your overall homeostasis—starts with small, sustainable steps.

1. Feed Your Microbiome with Fibre

Your good gut bugs thrive on fiber, especially the kind found in:

• Oats

• Chia seeds

• Apples

• Lentils

• Leafy greens Aim for 25–30g of fibre daily. Think: “How can I add more plants to this meal?”

2. Include Prebiotic Foods

These are the foods that feed your healthy gut bacteria.

• Garlic

• Onions

• Asparagus

• Bananas (slightly green)

• Leeks Add these to your meals regularly to support a balanced microbiome.

3. Add Fermented Foods Daily

Fermented foods contain live probiotics that help diversify your gut bacteria.

• Sauerkraut

• Kimchi

• Yogurt or kefir (dairy or non-dairy)

• Miso

• Tempeh Start small—a tablespoon or two with a meal is a great place to begin.

Check out the Macrobiotic programme. The macrobiotic diet was developed by George Ohsawa in the 1920s. Ohsawa, a Japanese philosopher, based the diet on a holistic approach to health, emphasizing natural, unprocessed foods and balancing Yin and Yang energy. He believed that by following the macrobiotic diet, individuals could live in harmony with nature and achieve better health.

4. Hydrate for Digestive Ease

Water is essential for proper digestion and nutrient absorption. Aim for 6–8 glasses of water daily, or enjoy herbal teas like our ImmuniTea or Gut Feelings Tea to stay hydrated and supported.

5. Limit Gut Disruptors

Try to reduce or avoid:

• Ultra-processed foods

• Excess alcohol

• Artificial sweeteners (like sucrose and aspartame)

• Chronic stress (more on that below!)

• Sweets for a period of time to allow your gut flora to rebalance.

Tips, techniques and plans to optimise gut health

1. Stress, the Gut-Brain Axis, and You

Have you ever noticed that your digestion gets weird when you’re stressed? That’s the gut-brain axis at work. Your gut and brain are constantly communicating via the vagus nerve and chemical messengers.

High stress = high cortisol = poor digestion, inflammation, and even gut permeability.

To support that vital gut-brain connection:

• Practice deep breathing for 3–5 minutes before meals.

• Try journaling to offload emotional stress or see a counselor.

• Drink Anxietea in the evening to settle your nervous system.

• Add in adaptogens like Tulsi, found in our ImmuniTea, to help regulate your stress response.

2. One-Day Gut-Loving Meal Plan

Here’s a simple meal plan to show you how easy it is to incorporate gut health into your day.

Morning

• Warm lemon water on waking

• Chia pudding with almond milk, banana, and blueberries

• or Poached egg, as protein

• 1 x cup of ImmuniTea or Wellbeing Tea

Lunch

• Quinoa salad with chickpeas, spinach, grated carrot, and tahini dressing

• Side of fermented sauerkraut

• Herbal Healing’s Gut Feelings Tea

Afternoon Snack

• Handful of almonds and a green apple

• Small bowl of plain yogurt or coconut kefir with cinnamon

  
  

Dinner

• Stir-fry with tofu, broccoli, garlic, and ginger over brown rice

• Or Tempeh with cabbage, leafy green and ginger

3. Eat Mindfully and Chew Thoroughly

Digestion starts in the mouth. When you chew slowly and thoroughly, you’re giving your digestive system a head start—breaking down food mechanically and activating enzymes in your saliva. Mindful eating also helps you tune into hunger and fullness cues, reducing overeating and bloating.

Try this:

• Put your fork down between bites

• Chew each mouthful 15–20 times

• Avoid screens or rushing through meals

4. Support Your Liver—Your Gut’s Silent Partner

Your liver plays a big role in digestion, breaking down fats and filtering out toxins that could affect your gut lining. Supporting liver function helps reduce the overall burden on your digestive system.

Try this:

• Start your morning with warm water and lemon

• Eat bitter greens like rocket, dandelion, and kale

• Enjoy herbal teas with liver-loving herbs like Turmeric and Gotu kola, found in our ImmuniTea

5. Add Bone Broth or Gut-Healing Soups

Bone broth is rich in collagen, amino acids, and minerals that help repair the gut lining and support nutrient absorption. If you’re plant-based, opt for a veggie-rich broth with garlic, ginger, and seaweed.

Try this:

• Sip on warm broth as a snack

• Use it as a base for soups and stews

• Add gut-friendly herbs like thyme and rosemary for extra benefits

Final Thoughts: Gut Health is a Daily Practice

You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight to support your gut. Start small. Sip herbal tea, add a handful of greens, eat fermented foods a few times a week. Prioritise sleep. Breathe before meals, chew slowly.

Herbal Healing has an extensive range of herbal tea blends to support you on that journey — gently, naturally, and with the wisdom of centuries behind every cup.

Eloise Tzimas

www.herbalhealing.co.nz